AMD outlines HSA push

Kaveri is set to launch by the end of the year, with availability in early 2014. The initial batch will be reserved for OEMs, for desktops and notebooks to be precise.

However, later versions will also target embedded and server markets. Berlin server parts will ship by July and they will be the first APU-derived server parts to support HSA. AMD is promising to deliver an updated software developer kit, including a GCC/HSA Linux compiler, PGI Accelerator compiler for C and C++, Open CL Math, math library ArrayFire 2.0 for Open CLE and CodeXL, a tool suite for Linux and Windows.

Although some big names are still missing from the list of HSA supporters, the list itself is growing and it’s already impressive. ARM, Imagination, Qualcomm, Samsung, Mediatek, Texas Instruments, LG, Sony, Canonical, VIA, Marvel, Vivante and Broadcom are on board, to name a few. Intel and Nvidia are not.

Oracle is expected to roll out a Java update to harness the full potential of HSA. Java Lambda expressions should allow developers to accelerate parallel projects on GPU cores by 2015.